Safety lock for switch points



H. T. BAUGHER SAFETY LOCK FOR SWITCH POINTS 3 W k #1 Q QM. w w Wm. WM wl Q N M H WH J) 8 A W.

Filed DeO. 1927 WM QM NM b Wfz'ifnass:

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Patented Aug. 6, 1929.

UNITED TA S HARLIE 'r. BAUGHER, or 'rnnurou, MISSOURI.

SAFETY LOOK FOR SWITCH POINTS.

Application filed December 1, 1927. Serial No. 236,999.

My invention relates toimprovcments in safety locks for railway switch points and one object is to provide an auxiliary locking device of this character for use in conncction with the ordinary switch stand for locking the switch points in position and preventing their accidental movement due to vibration of passing trains which sometimes causes the switch stand lever to work upwardly and move theswitch points from normal position, thereby causing some of the wheels of a train to pass out on the siding and wrecking the train.

ln order that the invention may be fully understood, reference will now be had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a portion of a railway track equipped with my safety locking device. e

I Fig. 2 is a detail front elevation of my safety locking device, a housing forming a part thereof being in vertical section.

Fig. 3 is a cross section on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Referring in detail to the different parts, 2 and 4 designate the main track rails, 6 and 8 the movable switch points, 10 the switch bar for controlling said switch points 6 and 8, 12 a crank pivotally connected to one end of the switch bar 10, 14 the vertical switch stand shaft upon which the crank 12 is fixedly secured, 16 the switch stand lever pivotally connected to afitting 18 clamped or otherwise firmly secured to the vertical shaft 14, and 20 the circular plate of the switch stand which is provided'with notches 22 and 24 for receiving the lever 16. All of the foregoing parts may be of conventional form. Referring now more particularly to the parts constituting my invention, 24 designates a lock bar which consists of two sections 26 and 28 adjustably connected by a turn-buckle 30 so that said lock bar 24 may be shortened or lengthened for engagement with the switch point 6 to which the section 28 is connected by a clip 31. After the proper length of the lock bar 24 has been ascertained the turnbuckle 30 is secured against accidental rotation by lock nuts 32 and 34 threaded upon the sections 26 and 28, respectively, and adapted to be adjusted into engagement with the opposite ends of said turn-buckle 30, for securing the same as stated.

One end of the lock bar section 26 is enlarged and slidably mounted in a housing 36, which is provided with oppositely-disposed lugs 38' and a downturned lug 40. The lugs 38 are firmly secured to the top of the head-block 42 by suitable means such as track spikes 44, while the lug 40 is firmly secured to one side of said head-block 42 by suitable means such as screws 46.

48 designates a foot lever extending through a slot 50 in one side of the housing 36 and mounted upon a pivot 52. The inner end of the foot lever 48 is adapted to enter either a of the slots 54 and 56 formed'in the upper portion of the inner end of the lock bar 24, as shown by Fig. 2. The slots 54 and 56 are spaced apart the proper distance for the former to receive the inner end of the foot lever 48 when the switch points 6 and 8 are adjusted to closed position to direct a train over the main track and for the latter to i receive the inner end of said foot lever 48 when the switch points are adjusted to open position to permit the train to run upon the siding.

The inner end of the foot lever 48 is yieldably held in either of the slots 54, 56 by suitable means such as a coil spring 58 interposed between the top of said lever 48 and the underside of a cover 60, which latter is removably secured upon the housing 36 by suitable means such as screws 62. The lower end of the spring 58 is held from slipping laterally upon the foot lever 48 by suitable means such as a pin 64 projecting upwardly from said lever 48. The housing 36 is exceedingly substantial and has a vertical hole 66 for spring 58.

One side of the housing 36 is provided with a removable compartment 68 for reception of the inner end of the lock bar 24 when it moves to the left (Figs. 1 and 2) with the switch point 6, so that there will be no sleet, snow, or other exterior obstructions in the way to prevent free operation of said lock bar 24. The compartment 68 is the reception of j the ple 70 adapted to project through a slot 72 in an extension 7 4 on the housing cover 60, so that said lever 48 may be secured in either of the slots 54, 56 by suitable means such as a padlock, not shown.

In practice when the switch points 6 and 8 are to be shifted to closed position to prevent a train from running upon the siding the switch stand lever 16 is raised from the notch 24 and swung around to enter the notch 22, which operation causes the shaft 14 and the crank 12 to rotate through a part of a revolution and carry the switch point 1 6 against the main rail 2 and the switch point 8 away from the main rail 4. However, before the switch lever 16 can be actuated as above stated the outer end of the foot lever 48 is depressed to raise its inner end out of the slot 54 so that the lock bar 24 may be shifted to the left by the switch point 6, to which it is connected. As the switch stand lever 16 is being swung towards the notch 22 the foot lever 48 may be released so that its inner end can be automatically pressed into the slot 56 by the spring 58 as the lever 16 reaches the position where it may enter the notch 22. \Vhen the switch points 6 and S are to be moved to open position to permit a train to run upon the siding the switch lever is moved in a reverse direction or from the notch 22 towards the notch 24, the foot lever 48 being previously disengaged from the slot 54 to enter 'the slot 56 after the switch lever 16 has reached a position where it may enter the notch 24. o

By thus locking the switch points 6 and 8 in either position by means of my safety locking mechanism all accidents caused by ends of the locking bar 24 and the lever 48 as they are fully protected by the housing 36 and the compartment 68.

.WVhile I have shown one embodiment of my invention I do not wish to be restricted to the exact construction shown, but reserve all rights to such changes and modifications as properly fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In combination with a railway track having main rails and movable switch points, a lock bar connected to one of said switch points for holding the latter in open or closed position and provided with two slots spaced a suitable distance apart, a foot lever having one end adapted to enter either of said slots for holding said lock bar stationary when said switch point is in either position, a housing enclosing the adjacent portions of the lock bar and said foot lever, a removable cover for said housing, and a spring interposed between said cover and the foot lever for yieldably holding the latter in engagement with said lock bar.

2. In combination with a railway track having main rails and movable switch points, a lock bar connected to one of said switch points for holding the latter in open or closed position, a foot lever for directly engaging and holding said lock bar stationary when said switch point is in either position, a housing enclosing the adjacent portions of the lock bar and said foot lever, a cover for said housing provided with a slotted extension, and a staple fixed to the foot lever and adapted to extend through said slotted extension so that it may be secured with a padlock.

3. In combination with a railway track having main rails and movable switch points, a lock bar connected to one of said switch points for holding the latter in open or closed position and provided with two slots spaced apart a distance equal to the movement of said switch points, a housing in which the slotted portion of said lock bar is slidably mounted, a compartment on said housing for receiving one end of said lock bar when the same is moved in one directtion, and a lever pivoted to said housing and having one end extending into the lat ter for entering either of the slots in the lock bar. 7

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

' HARLIE 'I. BAUGHER. 

